Page 80 of Stick With Me
“C’mon. Get in here.” Natalie swings her arm around my waist and pulls us into a three-way hug. Freddie seizes the opportunity, squeezing into the middle of the huddle and jumping to lick Ada’s chin. We all break apart with a laugh.
“Hi, lovebug. It’s so good to see you, too.” Ada crouches to give Freddie ear scratches and allows him to indulge in another kiss or two.
“First my best friend, and now my dog. Everyone likes you better,” I joke.
“Oh, shush,” Ada quips.
“You’re the glue,” Natalie says.
“Just what I always wanted… to be a white sticky substance,” I say without thought.
“To be or to be covered in?” Natalie asks, waggling her eyebrows. “By the looks on your face and Ryan’s this morning, I’m going with the latter.”
I walked right into that one. “You’re shameless.”
“Eww.” Ada’s face scrunches up, and Natalie just laughs manically.
“Does your dirty mind have something to do with howyouspentyournight? Or a certain Russian you spent it with?” I raise a brow.
“I’m starving. Where is this place again?” Natalie starts walking in the wrong direction.
Ada directs us with a thumb pointed over her shoulder. “This way.”
We make our way through the park and out onto the street the restaurant is on. The whole time, Natalie deflects, refusing to say a word about Ilya, and instead shifts the focus to Ada’s love life. “So, you moved here with your ex-husband? But there’s no chance of you guys getting back together?” She holds the door of the café open while Ada, Freddie, and I pass through.
“I know it sounds crazy, but just wait until you have a kid, then you’ll understand.” Ada shrugs, but her voice is filled with adoration as she says, “I’d do anything for my little dude.”
“I love that for you,” Natalie says in a way that would be offensive if you didn’t know her well. Luckily, Ada only laughs good-naturedly.
The waitress sets the menus and glasses of water on the round wooden table, promising to return shortly with the mimosa pitcher we didn’t need the menu to order. Moments later, she’s back, filling our glasses to the brim before placing a bowl of water under the table for Freddie. He curls into a donut shape at my feet, his head resting on my boots.
“Cheers.” Ada raises her glass, and we follow suit. “To new friends, and… new men?”
Natalie shrugs, then exhales a long sigh before launching into a rapid string of words. “Okay, I’ll go first because I know this one,” she says, pointing an elbow in my direction, “isn’t going to let me go the entire time without spilling. Yes, I slept with Ilya. It was fine. Definitely a one-time thing. No Mrs. Volkov in my future.”
She turns in her seat toward Ada with a raised brow.
Ada swallows a mouthful of mimosa and wipes the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. “Oh, is it my turn? Is this like a confessional type of thing? Or am I supposed to share my ‘new man’ story? Because if so, I’m afraid I don’t have anything to contribute. I haven’t been on a single date since my divorce. But confession… umm, yeah, I’ve got none of those either. Unless you consider eating a bowl of pasta at midnight scandalous. Sorry, that’s all I’ve got for you.”
Natalie clinks her glass with Ada’s. “I think you have the right idea with the no men and the midnight pasta.”
“Wait, wait, wait… You’re just going to drop that bomb and move on like nothing is amiss?” I direct the attention back to Natalie.
“Yep!”
“How did it even happen?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, it just did. But we agreed it would be a one-time thing.”
“Famous last words,” Ada mumbles.
“We don’t live in the same place, so how could it be anything else?”
“But you’d want it to be?” I can’t help but ask. It doesn’t sound like something she’d normally consider.
“No, of course not. It was just a bit of fun.” Nat waves a dismissive hand, and I know she won’t say more. She turns toward me, and Ada mimics the action, both fixing me with an expectant stare.
When I just stare at them stubbornly, Natalie nudges me with her foot. “It’s your turn, Hannah. And youdefinitelyhave the most to share.”
